KOZHIKODE: Huge conflicts erupted amid the coastal hartal declared against a waste plant being set up by the corporation at Avikkal in Kozhikode. As the protestors hurled stones, the police resorted to tear gas and lathi-charge. The protestors had besieged the road for about one-and-half-hour, on Saturday morning. However, they were arrested and the transport was restored in the area. The police have arrested numerous people in connection with the incident.
The hartal in Avikkal was declared in protest against the construction of the waste plant in a populated area. The Samara Samiti had declared a hartal from 6 am to 6 pm in the wards of Moonalingal, Vellayil and Thoppayil. The Samara Samiti had earlier announced that essential services and vehicles would be exempted from the hartal. Despite ongoing protests, the construction work of the waste treatment plant has been progressing under heavy police guard. The local residents have decided to continue the protests until the construction of the plant is halted.